Sustaining livability and a sense of place in
a changing South African urban context -
an environmental management
pilot case study
AC Batchelor
orcid.org
0000-0002-6429-463X
Mini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree
Master of Environmental
Management
at the North-West University
Supervisor:
Prof JA du Pisani
Graduation May 2018
23125268
Quotes
:Livability concerns a state of meaningful life-experience within an environment that is safe and life sustaining, where social and political stability prevails and where people can relate to their social and spatial life-context with a positive sense of place and place attachment. Livability implies a context where people can access and cope with their real and tangible, as well as their remembered and perceived intangible realities (author‘s definition inspired by various sources 2017).
Place is a geographical space that is defined by meanings, sentiments and stories, rather than by a set of co-ordinates. As a phenomenological concept, place is powerful both theoretically and practically because it offers a way to articulate more precisely the experienced wholeness of people-in-the-world, which phenomenologists call the lifeworld – the everyday world of taken-for-grantedness normally unnoticed and thus concealed as a phenomenon. This phenomenon is integral to human life and place holds lifeworlds together spatially and environmentally, marking out centres of human meaning, intention and comportment that, in turn, help make a place (Relph 1976).
Sense of place (or genius loci), involves a concern for the familiar and implies a sense of belonging, rootedness, stability and identity (Horn 1998).
The sense of place experience is determined by the physical context and also springs from the perceived intangible context and the sum of the social energy and agency that forms the collective consciousness (Giddens 1984).
The sense of place is, in the end, the result of a complex mixture of physical, social and personal factors – the choices we make, the attitudes we assume, and the extent to which we seek quality place experiences for ourselves and promote them for others (Steele 1981).
Identification is the basis for man‘s sense of belonging and ‗dwelling‘ means belonging to a concrete place [home] (Norberg-Schulz 1976).
To say that mortals are, is to say that, in dwelling they persist through spaces by virtue of their story among things and locations (Heidegger trans. 1962).
Transforming space to place implies an open accountable process during which people can influence decision-making about how and what their physical spaces should become (Strydom and Puren 2014).
Sense of place can be enhanced and strengthened through appropriate architecture and townscape planning and appropriate design of streetscapes, buildings and avenues. Yet it can be impacted upon and compromised through interventions such as destruction of features within the tangible landscape/townscape as well as through disturbance of the intangible surrounds (Loots 2014).
We have to transform to create walkability, equity and sustainability, but we also have to protect to create identity … towards a densified city that is sustainable, liveable and memorable (Loots 2017).
Keywords: South African urban case study, livability, sense of place, sustainability, environmental and social management, heritage management, Tshwane, Pretoria, Arcadia
Table of Contents
1
Introduction: context of study, problem statement, objectives, research
questions ...8
1.1 Arcadia Precinct case study context ... 8
1.1.1 Historical and geographical context ... 8
1.1.2 Lived-experience research – the author ... 12
1.2 Outline of the research ... 13
1.3 Problem statement ... 15
1.4 Objectives of the study and research questions ... 17
1.5 Governance context and legislative framework ... 18
1.6 Literature review ... 27
1.6.1 Purpose of the literature review ... 27
1.6.2 Sources - international ... 28
1.6.3 Literature - South African ... 31
2
Methods used in the pilot study ... 35
2.1 Approaches used in the research ... 35
2.2 Type of study ... 37
2.3 Case study research ... 38
2.4 Empirical study ... 41
2.4.1 Developing a model for future action ... 48
2.5 Limitations of the study ... 49
3
Sense of place, place, livability and sustainability ... 51
3.1 Sense of place and related concepts ... 51
3.1.1 Place ... 51 3.1.2 Sense of place ... 51 3.1.3 Place attachment ... 55 3.1.4 Livability ... 56 3.2 Sustainability ... 56 3.2.1 Sustain/Sustainable/Sustainability/Sustainable Development ... 56
3.2.2 Sense of place, sustainability and the socio-spatial approach ... 57
3.2.3 Further discussion on strengthening sustainability ... 58
3.2.4 Comparative research related to sustainability... 60
3.2.5 Urban neighbourhood sustainability ... 61
3.2.6 Principles and guidelines associated with sustainability ... 62
3.2.7 Local and international principles for sustainability ... 63
3.2.8 Form-based design supporting livability, sense of place and sustainability ... 69
4
Analysis of the outcomes of the research ... 70
4.1 Spatial data: Outcomes of the street-view survey ... 70
5.1 Framework to sustain sense of place in the case study area ... 77
5.2 Model for future implementation ... 78
5.2.1 The Urban Profile Process ... 79
5.2.2 Soft-systems methodology ... 80
5.3 Spatial Development Framework and Management plan ... 81
5.3.1 Spatial Development Framework ... 81
5.3.2 Development-management plan ... 81
5.3.3 Further Processes to be engaged in Arcadia Precinct ... 82
6
Summary, recommendations and conclusion... 83
6.1 Summary ... 83
6.2 Recommendations ... 85
6.3 Conclusion ... 88
7
References ... 89
Appendix A ...1
Questions that guided semi-structured interviews ...1
Appendix B ...5
People interviewed, data collection through individual discussion, meetings ...5
Appendix C ...7
Arcadia Street Heritage Debate 2006-2016 ...7
Appendix D ... 13
Extracts from the minutes of the Information-sharing meeting of 18 July 2017... 13
FIGURE 1 MAP OF ARCADIA PRECINCT AND VICINITY……… 5
FIGURE 2 HILL HOUSE STUDENT COMPLEX ……… 6
FIGURE 3 OUTLINE OF METHODS USED IN THE PILOT STUDY...30
FIGURE 4 MODEL OF PROPOSED FUTURE STRATEGIES ……… ………..… 43
FIGURE 5 MODEL OF PLACE ATTACHMENT ………50
FIGURE 6 THREE-CIRCLE SUSTAINABILITY REPRESENTATION...54
FIGURE 7 FOUR PILLARS OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITY ……… 55
FIGURE 8 FORM-BASED SPATIAL ASPECTS AT HILL HOUSE...63
FIGURE 9 DIAGRAM OF THE URBAN PROFILE PROCESS……….……....74
TABLE 1 OUTLINE OF THE RESEACH...8
TABLE 2 COMPARATIVE TABLE OF PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY...61
Abstract
This is a pilot study based on qualitative case research that was undertaken to identify methods and procedures that could lead to a greater understanding of the role played by sense of place in sustaining livability in urban contexts. The study uses a socio-spatial approach which focuses on social, rather than economic and environmental concerns. The study proposes that sense of place is a prerequisite for livability and sustainability. It also proposes that livability and sense of place can be sustained, enhanced and secured through protection and maintenance of identity as well as through stakeholder engagement, management procedures and design intervention.
To debate this premise, Arcadia Precinct area was selected as a case study. It is situated in the prestigious suburb of Arcadia, one of the most historical residential areas in Pretoria (City of Tshwane), South Africa. The area lies close to the University of Pretoria, the Union Buildings that is the seat of Government, the Hatfield business-and-accommodation growth point, and lies within walking distance from the Gautrain rapid rail terminal in nearby Hatfield.The majority of houses in Arcadia Street, in the selected Arcadia Precinct case study area, are more than sixty, and some more than a hundred years old. Arcadia Precinct constitutes an appropriate case study, since sense of place is under threat here due to rapid development in the area.
The focussed study objective was to determine how sense of place can be secured, enhanced and sustained in this area amid rapid and drastic urban transformation. Locally applicable sustainability principles and management procedures, that could contribute towards maintaining sense of place within Arcadia Precinct needed to be identified. The study endeavours to establish what the essential elements of sense of place are as perceived by members of the local community and what management plan and strategy should be followed to enhance livability and sustainability.
The research problem was centred on the need to manage development in a way that would ensure that the case study area remains sufficiently stable to sustain local sense of place. The study therefore aimed to provide a framework for future implementation that could sustain the livability and sense of place in the Arcadia Precinct in Pretoria, Tshwane. The framework that is put forward in the study consists of theoretical aspects to develop a way of thinking about sustaining sense of place as well as practical aspects to devise methods and procedures to maintain it. The procedure that is recommended stresses the need for consultation with members of the local community as well as professionals from diverse fields that include among others, environmental, social and heritage impact assessment specialists as well as spatial planners and architects. This framework also recommends that the Circles of Sustainability - Urban Profile Process‘ and Soft-Systems Procedure‘ (as discussed in this study) should be introduced to transform the study area to the envisioned and aspired future state.
The study also concludes that an effective, enforceable, development-management-plan, that is generated according to an ―open accountable process during which people can influence decision-making about how and what their physical spaces should become‖ (Strydom and Puren 2014) should constitute the core tool of its management. This strategy should respond to local needs, while development should be guided by planning professionals and environmental, social and heritage specialists. It should be guided by assessment procedures and monitored according to review cycles and feedback programmes.
For the Arcadia Precinct study area to move towards the aspired state depends to a large extent on the implementation of a management plan and effective social and spatial planning strategies. Once this is implemented and a new spatial development framework for the Precinct becomes operational, the situation will be much improved. Planning impediments need to be removed and the actions stipulated in the framework proposed in this study need to be implemented. What is needed most of all is commitment by the local community and the local authority, to effectively apply the appropriate tools. Above all, individual people have to take the initiative and responsibility to achieve the desired state.
ETHICAL STATEMENT:
Please note that all participants in this study and associated interviews and surveys agreed that the information they shared may be used in this dissertation.
1
Introduction: context of study, problem statement,
objectives, research questions
It should be noted that the Arcadia Precinct study is a pilot case study meant to inform a subsequent full study. It was undertaken to identify and explore the efficacy of tools, methods and procedures that may be used for further more comprehensive investigations that could lead to greater understanding of the role played by sense of place in sustaining livability in urban contexts. By definition the pilot study serves as preparatory investigation to determine the suitability of specific research methods to be used in a further, more comprehensive follow-up study. Leedy and Ormrod describe a pilot study as ―a brief exploratory investigation [to] try out particular procedures, measurement instruments, or methods of analysis [to determine] which approaches will and will not be effective in helping you solve your overall research problem‖ (Leedy and Ormrod 1993:110). The outcomes of this study should be viewed in pilot study context, and should not be seen as results of a full study.
1.1 Arcadia Precinct case study context
1.1.1 Historical and geographical context
Arcadia Precinct, the study area of this study, is located in the City of Tshwane in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The selected Arcadia Precinct case study is situated in the prestigious historical suburb of Arcadia, one of the most authentic and attractive historical residential areas in the City of Tshwane. The Precinct area lies close to the University of Pretoria, the Union Buildings, Hatfield business and accommodation growth point, and within walking distance from the Gautrain rapid rail terminal. The small case study area extends roughly from Eastwood Street to Festival Street and from Church (now Stanza Bopape) to Park Streets, as indicated on the map (Figure 1). Discussion of the Precinct area is set against the background of the broader area of which the borders extend roughly from the Union Buildings and Eastwood Street, along Lynnwood Road and up Duncan Street and to Church Street (Stanza Bopape), thus within a kilometre from the University of Pretoria and Hatfield rapid rail and bus stations. The current transition period in South Africa is expressed on socio-political and socio-economic fronts as well as in the transformation of land use and urban densification, especially along urban transport routes (Turok and Parnell 2009). The selected case study area provides a local perspective on the position and development challenges within the national socio-economic and socio-political context.
The area where Pretoria is located was called Phelindaba in pre-colonial times. Due to its landscape setting in well-watered valleys interspersed among protective ridges, the wider area provides a desirable living environment and during different stages of its history had repeatedly
become a place of contestation as is reflected in repeated acts of empowerment and landscape control. The deep-time occupation of the area is supported by excavated archaeological deposits, such as at the Wonderboom Early Stone Age site that lies close to the narrow gorge where the Apies River has carved its way through the northern section of one of the landscape barrier ridges, providing a strategic narrowing where, from prehistoric times, the game passed through to reach nutritional seasonal grazing to the north. The thousands of archaeological artefacts that still crop up along pavements and waterways, and in gardens and open spaces, indicate that, through time, people enjoyed living in these well-watered valleys that provided good grazing as well as on the hills that provided protection to pre-colonial people (Batchelor 2011). It was the farming potential provided by the powerful artesian fountains between its southern ridges that attracted the first colonial farmers. The Voortrekkers, the Dutch farmers that had left the Cape Colony in the 1830s to escape from British rule, moved into the interior north of the Vaal River from the 1840s. With the growth of the farming community followed traders and transport links, leading to the establishment of a regional town. Wagons laden with produce would head for the towering spire of the church in the town centre (Batchelor 2011). The town was named Pretoria after one of the Voortrekker leaders. The seat of the government of the South African Republic, the Boer republic north of the Vaal River, moved from Potchefstroom to Pretoria around 1860, because of its more central location for the various Voortrekker communities in the different parts of the Transvaal (Batchelor 2011). Turbulent times followed when the British took control of Pretoria in 1877 and again in 1900.
Church Square had become the centre of political, economic and social life. The imposing Raadsaal, seat of government, stood close to the home of President Paul Kruger and Church Square had become the symbol of the values of the Boer republics.
In 1910 Pretoria became the administrative capital of the newly created Union of South Africa. It was decided to move the seat of government from the Raadsaal on Church Square and to construct a totally new and imposing complex of governance a few kilometers due east of Church Square, a site in an elevated position. The architect Herbert Baker selected this site on the southern slopes of Meintjieskop ridge for the imposing complex because it ―provided broad vistas and a vantage point from which the building could dominate the landscape below‖. Situating the Union Buildings in this position formed part of a carefully designed strategy of visual control and dominance. The natural platform on the southern slope of Meintjieskop enabled visual links with other features within the grand scheme of urban design that included, across the valley, Pretoria Boys High School as well as Pretoria High School for Girls, the Old Letters Building on the campus of the University of Pretoria and the Arcadia Precinct case study area (Batchelor 2011).
Pretoria has retained its position as administrative capital of the South African state and the imposing Union Buildings has remained as seat of government through subsequent political
dispensations. Significantly, it is also from this platform that Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first democratic president of South Africa in 1994. Mandela committed South Africa to a new era based on justice for all (Mandela 1994).The Union Buildings became the symbolic epicenter of a political philosophy that represents true democracy - the symbol of the birth of the new South Africa (Batchelor 2011). In the current era of democracy since 1994, the greater city was renamed City of Tshwane, after a traditional leader from pre-colonial times. This brings the statement by Horn into perspective (1998:22) that: ―The names Tshwane, Pretoria and Phelindaba represent different reflections of time, space and meaning in relation to the locale, symbolizing the flexibility of time and space and spatial construction of society‖.
Figure 2: Sketch of Hill House (also known as Hill Village) student complex in Arcadia Street next
to the University. The site development plan is illustrated in Figure 8 in Chapter 3. (All artwork in this mini-dissertation was done by architect/artist Trevor Lloyd-Evans.)
As can also be seen on the site development plan of Hill House (see Figure 8, Chapter 3, p 65) the complex is arranged around courtyards. The 90 years old white house in the centre, where the author stays, was designed by Gordon Leith, an associate at the Herbert Baker office in Pretoria. The street view along Hill Street and Arcadia Street can be tracked on Google Maps. (Hill Village has a website (―Hill Village Accommodation Pretoria‖).
Hill House student accommodation enterprise that belongs to the author of this study, lies within the Precinct, and serves as nested case study example (Figure 2). The sense of place of the broader area has recently come under threat due to accelerated development that followed an increase in the demand for student housing and the establishment of a rapid rail and bus network as part of the City of Tshwane (Pretoria) transit-oriented development planning.
The wider South African urban landscapes have been subjected to major changes for decades, and have experienced accelerated development. In the decades of transition since the inception of the democratic dispensation in 1994, change processes were accelerated to accommodate the national policy of redressing the imbalances in the spatial economy. In this regard see e.g. the South African Constitution (Republic of South Africa (RSA) 1996), Integrated Development Plan (IDP) (RSA 2003), Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) (RSA 2013),
Hatfield Spatial Development Framework (City of Tshwane (COT) 2012), Parnell and Pieterse 2014, Turok and Parnell 2009 and Van Donk et al 2008).
Following the rapid development in the adjoining suburb of Hatfield that accompanied the establishment of the rapid rail and bus system and the exponential growth of the University of Pretoria, the Precinct area of Arcadia has been dramatically transformed, to the degree that the purely residential land use has now been replaced by ―other uses‖, predominantly offices and student accommodation (Batchelor 2006). While this has resulted in intensification of development and major financial investment in the area, it has impacted on the historical residential character and sense of place of the area.
1.1.2 Lived-experience research – the author
The multi-disciplinary nature of the study was enthusiastically engaged by the author whose professional background is in archaeology and art history, fields in which she had lectured at a local university. The disciplines of environmental science and spatial planning, in which this study is situated, provided a challenge and valuable study opportunity for extensive literature study by the author. This was most enriching and will benefit the future research that will be undertaken. But it did take more time than was available for the study, leaving less time for empirical study. Limitations associated with a pilot study as compared to a full comprehensive study result from the small sample and limited data collection and could result in one-sidedness and lack of accuracy.
While this research had benefitted from the 30 years of experienced knowledge of the author, the study also used data that was collected over many years, which complicated the data analysis. The deep involvement of the author could also have brought with it a degree of bias and lack of objectivity and reflexivity.
The author knew most of the participants in this study and associated interviews and surveys. They were aware that the engagements were for reasons of the study. Verbal consent was given by all participants that the information gathered could be used in my studies and dissertation. Also note that this study commenced before the formalities of the current ethics regime were in place at the North-West University. Lack of a formal signed consent form could, however, be seen as a limitation of this study. This aspect should be appropriately addressed in future research.
1.2 Outline of the research
An outline of the pilot study, as dealt with in this document, is provided in Table 1.
Table 1:
Outline describing need for and nature of the study, aims, objectives, research questions, key theoretical concepts, assumptions, methods used and recommendations
What type of study is it?
It is a qualitative pilot case study situated in Arcadia Precinct in Pretoria South Africa. The study follows a socio-spatial approach and focuses on social rather than economic or environmental aspects of environmental management. The study has two main sections namely a pilot baseline study (illustrated in Figure 3) and a model for future implementation (illustrated in Figure 4).
Chapter 2
What is the focus of the study and how does the study relate to different disciplines? The study considers the key concepts sense of place, sustainability and livability in an urban context as viewed from within the discipline of environmental management. The study also relates to certain aspects of urban spatial planning and land use management as well as phenomenology and human geography.
Chapters 2 and 3
Why was there a need for the study?
The need for the study derives from the need to sustain livability and to secure, enhance and sustain sense of place in the study area where it is threatened due to rapid development.
Chapter 1
What were the research objectives?
To supply a baseline study from an insider perspective of how Arcadia Precinct has changed and what the current situation is.
To determine how the concepts of sense of place/place attachment, livability and sustainability are locally perceived.
To determine what the social and environmental aspirations of the residents are and what they think should be done to address the challenges of urban change in the area.
Chapter 1
What were the research questions?
How have recent changes impacted on the study area and what is the current situation?
How have the concepts of sense of place/place livability, and sustainability evolved in the literature, what relevance do they have for this study and can the principles contained in these concepts be used as points of departure for future planning?
What are the views/attitudes/fears of the different stakeholders about the concepts of sense of place, livability and sustainability that are applicable to the study area?
How do the different stakeholders perceive the situation in the study area and what are their ideas/plans on what needs to be done to address the challenges of urban change?
Chapters 1,3,4,5
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4
Chapters 4 + 5
What was the assumption or basic premise (hypothesis) of the study?
The assumption was that livability could be sustained if sense of place could be retained in the
case study area. Further assumptions were that maintenance of sense of place had the potential to strengthen sustainability, that sense of place and that sense of belonging can be sustained, enhanced and secured through implementation of management procedures and design intervention.
What were the methods used in this qualitative pilot case study?
This was a qualitative pilot case study that used empirical methods that included a street-view survey, along with community engagement through semi-structured interviews, residents meetings, information-sharing sessions (public participation) and notation of the author‘s own 30 year lived experience at Hill House, the nested case study in Arcadia Precinct.
Chapter 2
What suggestions were made to address the need for the study?
It was suggested that a framework should be developed to address the core needs and that a detailed strategy should be devised to implement the framework and that the recommendations should be introduced as a matter of urgency.
Chapter 5
What recommendations are made in the study? The following was recommended:
1. This pilot study should be followed by a more comprehensive study that includes environmental and social impact assessment. This should also include a comprehensive baseline study as well as extensive stakeholder engagement programmes to determine current needs and future aspirations of the local community.
2. Environmental (including social) Impact Assessment (EIA) should be undertaken. Due attention should be given to the perceptions held by the community on livability and sense of place as well as their aspirations for the future of the Precinct study area. Heritage practitioners should draft a conservation management plan while urban planners then need to combine the inputs from other disciplines to engage in land use planning that will ensure the maintenance of sense of place for the sustainable development of the area.
3. Based on these impact studies a new spatial development framework as well as a development-management plan should be developed for the study area in order to strengthen livability and sense of place. The plan should include locally applicable principles of social, economic, political and environmental sustainability.
4. Both the framework and the management development plan should be developed so as to recognise the current concerns and aspirations of the local community. This should be developed in conjunction with spatial planners and architects (to optimise the potential of the area through form-based design), as well as with social and environmental impact assessment professionals and heritage specialists.
5. It is also recommended that the current state in the study area should be described according to the Circles of Sustainability Urban Profile Process (Figure 9 in Chapter 5) and that a technique known as Soft Systems Methodology should be engaged to support the progression from the current state to the envisioned future state in the area.
6. The development-management plan for the area should comply with principles specified in the model for future implementation as agreed to by all relevant parties, including the local community. Compliance monitoring of the development management plan should follow prior agreed-on, and clearly identified, compliance stipulations, report-back procedures and time-phased review cycles. The development management plan and associated monitoring regime should be binding and enforceable.
7. Liaison should be strengthened within the community as well as between municipal planning officials and spatial planners, social and environmental impact assessment professionals, architects and heritage specialists.
8. The matter of Arcadia Street as heritage street should be resolved through further investigation and through public participation.
9. A new communal-living-and-densification concept (―complex stay‖) should be introduced to provide in the needs of people from different walks of life.
1.3 Problem statement
Background to the problem
The broader problem addressed by this study is linked to the current development dynamics in Arcadia Precinct.
In the study area (Arcadia Precinct) recent rapid change in land use has created a threat to the stability of this area as a livable environment for the residents. There is the possibility of urban decay. Is it possible to develop a framework for policy-making and management that can counter this threat? Such a framework will have to take into account the combined elements of sustainable development in an urban context in the following domains: economics, ecology, politics and culture. How can the needs of the different stakeholders be reconciled and accommodated in such a framework? Many factors must be taken into account: the physical environment (buildings, trees, gardens, etc) and its heritage and aesthetic values, the spatial development and planning frameworks of the municipality, the social needs of stakeholders, sense of place/place attachment of the permanent and temporary residents, the economic/financial viability of the area, etc.
The study provides perspective on the position and development challenges of the study area within the national socio-economic and socio-political context. The Arcadia Precinct provides a typical example of the challenges of densification and land use change in the local sphere. Hill House, that provides annual lodging to female and male students, serves as nested example within the Precinct case study. The owner and tenants represent two important stakeholder groups in the Precinct. The owner, author of this study, is a long-time permanent resident of the Precinct with strong vested interests in the study area. Most of the students are in their twenties and come from different provinces of South Africa, as well as elsewhere in Africa and are enrolled in different disciplines. Most students stay at Hill House for the duration of degree studies, i.e. for a period of
at least three years. Hill House was also considered to be a suitable case study example since tenants largely reflect the diversity of the wider South African population.
In the Arcadia Precinct case study area densification poses a challenge to residents who wish to capitalise on the development potential yet wish to conserve the heritage character and the sense of place in the Precinct. The development dynamic in the Precinct along Arcadia Street has been further challenged as a result of the Municipality‘s intension to proclaim Arcadia Street, the core focus of the study, as heritage street. The implication thereof is that no further development will be allowed on properties along the street as well as up to the middle of the block. Since high density development is allowed on bordering properties, multi-storied apartment buildings now directly overlook some of the heritage properties.
The stated objectives of the Hatfield Spatial Development Framework are to provide directives for spatial restructuring. It indicates that developments must be holistically evaluated, economically viable, must satisfy the needs of both investor and user, and that the emphasis in Hatfield should be shifted away from strict development controls, towards the facilitation of a high quality urban environment. It clarifies that ―the objective of this framework is to facilitate transit orientated development within a quality urban environment‖(COT 2012:54).
It must also be noted that at the time the Spatial Development Framework for Arcadia Street of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality City Planning Department was tabled in 2002 it was already outdated, and it clearly predates the conceptualization of the development of the Gautrain rapid rail network. Furthermore, the deductions made in the 2002 report were based on a survey that had been undertaken nine years earlier by Schalk le Roux in 1993 (Le Roux 1993; COT 2002:6). Yet the stipulations contained in the Framework (COT 2002) are still applied in the evaluation of development applications submitted to the Tshwane planning department.
When considered in the wider perspective of Tshwane development objectives expressed in the Integrated Development Plan for Tshwane that is currently being finalised (in 2017), the Arcadia Street Development Plan (COT 2002) is in non-alignment. This is the result of decisions taken by Tshwane Municipality to declare Arcadia Street, that lies at the heart of the Precinct, as heritage street. Yet the Precinct forms part of the City of Tshwane‘s transit-oriented development planning that proposes densification. Such a declaration has resulted in the entire area being subjected to unnecessary stringent control measures and may curtail the development potential of the area. Instead of contributing to the maintenance of sense of place, this has had the opposite and undesirable effect of perpetuating the transitional and tenuous position of the Precinct.
Further discrepancies also exist in terms of planning permission granted by the municipality in that detail contained in planning submissions and the physical final outcome thereof on the ground lack of correlation. The stated written intentions submitted as part of the application by developers, often differs significantly from the physical building that is eventually constructed on the site. The prevailing urban fabric and character that is closely linked to sense of place is compromised by this lack of correlation. What is needed is an effective mechanism of control and enforcement. Integrated planning, as well as closer networking between communities and authorities, will assist in remedying this form of non-alignment.
In this pilot study a start is made towards designing a framework and strategy that can address the above problem. This study serves as a baseline study of Arcadia Precinct and consists of two main components. The literature study component focuses on best practice for sustaining sense of place and livability in urban contexts and the empirical study focuses on establishing the views of stakeholders on the concept of sense of place and their ideas on possible solutions to keep the study area a livable neighbourhood.
1.4 Objectives of the study and research questions
The Arcadia Precinct study is a pilot study and was undertaken to identify and explore the efficacy of tools, methods and procedures that could be used for further more comprehensive investigations to clarify the role played by sense of place in sustaining livability in urban contexts. The aim of the study was to identify methods and procedures that held potential of sustaining sense of place and strengthening livabiliy in the case study area and should be used in the subsequent full study.
The following research objectives of the pilot study were thus formulated:
To investigate what methods to compile a baseline study had promise, and could therefore be used in the more comprehensive study (that is to follow this pilot study). This baseline study had to reflect an insider perspective of how Arcadia Precinct has changed and what the current situation is.
To clarify the concepts of sense of place/place attachment, livability and sustainability.
To establish the views/attitudes/fears of a number of stakeholders about the concepts of sense of place, livability and sustainability applicable to the study area.
To record the ideas/plans of different stakeholders on what needs to be done to address the challenges of urban change in the study area.
Once these objectives are realised it will provide a basis for further investigation into a possible future framework that will counter and/or mitigate the threats, bring stability to the area and
maintain it as a livable urban residential environment, and to design an appropriate and feasible strategy to introduce and implement the proposed framework in the study area.
The objectives of this pilot study will be reached by answering the following research questions: How have recent changes impacted on the study area and what is the current situation?
How have the concepts of sense of place/place attachment, livability and sustainability evolved in the literature and what relevance do they have for this study?
Can the principles contained in these concepts be used as point of departure for future planning?
What are the views/attitudes/fears of the different stakeholders about the concepts of sense of place, livability and sustainability applicable to the study area?
How do the different stakeholders perceive the situation in the study area and what are their ideas/plans on what needs to be done to address the challenges of urban change.
1.5 Governance context and legislative framework
A wide variety of documents, principles, criteria and procedures guide sustainable development at national, provincial and municipal levels in South Africa. This section provides reference to the overarching legislative setting and considers the relevance and effectiveness of official development frameworks and other guiding documents and processes relevant to environmental (including urban environmental) management.
The significance of the South African sustainability framework should be viewed in global perspective. The Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the United Nations, for example, seeks to provide leadership towards the implementation of development goals and these include seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 11 is directed towards sustainable cities and communities. SDG 11.1 states: ―By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums‘. SDG 11.3 proposes: ‗By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries‘. The most recent United Nations global summit that focused on urbanisation (Quito, Ecuador 17-20 October 2016), considered aspects such as: ‗community habitat‘, ‗safer cities‘, and ‗cities going slower to create more livable cities‘ (United Nations (UN) 2016).
Over and above official legislation and guidelines, non-binding agreement documents such as Agenda 21 (the action plan to promote sustainable development) also play a significant role at local government level. Agenda 21 obliges adherence to the voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 (UN 1992).
Agenda 21 argues that local governments are key role players in the implementation of sustainable development due to their planning and developmental activities. It also emphasises the importance of the link between local government and the public and is expressed in South Africa‘s Local Agenda 21 (LA 21) that exists as a framework for sustainability to be applied across a multitude of local authorities with their unique needs, histories and resources (UN 1996). In the South African local government context, LA 21 has been formally adopted and is closely aligned with the Integrated Development Planning (IDP) process. LA 21 places significant emphasis on creation of partnerships between local communities and local authorities to establish local sphere sustainability (UN 1996).
This part of the study provides an outline of documents that relate to environmental (including urban environmental) development. It discusses core documents such as the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) (Act 107 of 1998), the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) (Act 16 of 2013) and the National Heritage Resources Act (Act 25 of 1999). For the City of Tshwane the Regional Spatial Development Framework (COT 2014), Tshwane Vision 2055 (COT 2002) and especially documents related to strengthening sustainability in the Integrated Development Planning Process (DEAT 2002; Sowman and Brown 2006) should be consulted when development is being considered. Documents of the City of Tshwane relating to Pretoria East, including the Hatfield Spatial Development Framework (COT 2012) and the Spatial Development Framework for Arcadia Street (COT 2002) provide guidance on spatial planning on the local level.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
The concept of sustainable development is fundamental to environmental management in South Africa as underlined in the Constitution of South Africa. Section 24 of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right:
(a) to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and
(b) to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that:
(i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation; (ii) promote conservation; and
(iii) secure ecologically-sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development (RSA 1996).
This section requires that the environment (implying both the natural and cultural environment) is protected through reasonable legislative and other means to secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural (and cultural) resources. The "environment" is included in Schedule 4 of the Constitution. Functional areas listed in Schedule 4 include nature conservation, housing, public transport, regional planning and development, urban and rural development among others (RSA 1996).
National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA) and locally applicable sustainability principles.
The use of the term sustainable development, as applied in this study, agrees with its use in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), which gives effect to Section 24 of the Constitution.
NEMA's preamble states that ―sustainable development requires the integration of social, economic and environmental factors in the planning, implementation and evaluation of decisions to ensure that development serves present and future generations‖ (RSA 1998). Sustainable development is defined in Section 1(1) of NEMA as the ‗integration of social, economic and environmental factors into planning, implementation and decision making so as to ensure that development serves present and future generations‘ (RSA 1998).
The NEMA principles set out in Section 2 are central to environmental management in South Africa (Van der Linde and Feris 2008:198) and also serve as point of departure in consideration of sustainable development principles at a local level, as in this case study. NEMA principles constitute the primary tool for achieving sustainable development because they recognise that the consideration of environmental factors requires the integration of social, economic and ecological factors into decisions. NEMA principles are applicable to all decisions that relate to the interpretation and implementation of NEMA and other laws concerned with environmental management or protection. They serve as the general framework within which environmental management and implementation plans must be formulated.
Section 2(2) of NEMA requires that people and their needs must be placed at the forefront of concerns in order for environmental management to serve the people‘s developmental, cultural and social interests. NEMA reflects the three pillars of sustainable development by providing in Section 2(3) that ‗development must be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable‘. According to Glazewski (2005:141) this indicates that the provisions in Section 3(2) are a commitment to sustainable development. Section 2(4) provides that ‗sustainable development
requires the consideration of all relevant factors‘. These factors include the preventative principle, environmental ju s t i c e , e quitable use of natural resources, sustainable use of resources, the public trust doctrine, polluter pays principle, environmental health and environmental assessment (RSA 1998).
Chapter 5 of NEMA provides for the development of procedures for the assessment of the impact of policies, plans and programmes and seeks to give effect to this imperative by promoting the application of appropriate environmental management tools to ensure the integrated management of activities that may impact on the environment. It is important that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) considers the NEMA principles for two key reasons, namely to determine whether the proposed development meets the ‗sustainability test‘, that is, does it represent a move away from or a move towards sustainable development and to enable the decision-maker to consider the development proposal in light of these principles, which they are obliged to do. Impact of a proposed development on socio-economic conditions must be determined in the light of the concept of sustainable development, the principle of integration of socio-economic development and the protection of the environment.
Assessment as a tool towards sustainability:
Environmental assessment (EA) is the term used for the assessment of the environmental (and social) consequences (positive and negative) of a plan, policy, programme, or concrete projects, prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action (Aucamp 2009:59-61).
The term environmental impact assessment (EIA) is usually used when applied to concrete projects by individuals or companies and the term strategic environmental assessment (SEA) applies to policies, plans and programmes most often proposed by organs of state.
The National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA) prescribes the use of assessment as a technique that will strengthen sustainability (UN 1992, 2002, 2003; Sowman and Brown 2006; Gibson, 2013; James 2015). Assessment tools such as EIA (Petts 1999; Vanclay 2004; Newman and Jennings 2008), Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Heritage Impact Assessment (HeIA) and Community Value Assessment (CVA) are considered as analytical and planning tools that are used to steer development by specialists according to their different fields of expertise and are important in the case study research and in consideration of sense of place since they recognise the dynamic interaction among people within place. Elements within these assessment fields were applied within the Precinct study area, and aspects thereof are included in
Table1. Note that a Heritage Impact Assessment (HeIA) is required in terms of Section 38 of the NHRA when heritage resources may be affected by any proposed development.
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) should be acknowledged as a significant tool towards sustainability. Some of the principles of SIA relate to locally experienced sense of place and the study concludes that SIA should receive greater recognition for the role it can play as over-arching assessment tool, and should be incorporated throughout the life cycle of development projects (Aucamp et al. 2011; Vanclay and Esteves 2011).
Gibson (2006) states that SIA is aimed at achieving livelihood sufficiency and opportunity, and that it can ensure that all communities and individuals have the opportunity to lead a decent life without compromising the opportunities of future generations. According to Aucamp (2009:160) SIA makes a contribution to ensuring that ‗future and present generations are served‘ if it is effective and is therefore an important part of sustainable development. Therefore socio-economic aspects must be considered during the EIA process in terms of the Constitution and NEMA principles. SIA includes the process of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, plans and projects) and any social change processes invoked by these interventions (DEAT 2002:48). SIA can add value to decision-making processes, because it can protect the rights of communities and it can ensure sustainable development if it is used correctly (Aucamp 2009:120).
The potential future assessment actions affecting the Arcadia Precinct area could be undertaken by the Municipality as a SEA whereby it reviews existing policies and programmes related to potential future development in the Precinct area, and the potential impacts (social, heritage and economic) that these may have on the sense of place and sustainability of the Precinct area. Such a SEA would be initiated and managed by the Municipality guided by an Assessment Practitioner. An EIA (including a social and heritage component) in terms of the NEMA requirements, could be required for a proposed development (listed in terms of NEMA). In this case the study would be initiated and funded by the property developer and undertaken by an independent EIA Practitioner. This EIA report would then be submitted to the competent authorities for authorisation.
Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (Act 16 of 2013) (SPLUMA)
The Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) was enacted in 2013, and implemented in 2015. Section 24 of SPLUMA specifies that a municipality must, after public consultation, adopt and approve a single land use scheme (LUS) for its entire municipal area within five years from the commencement of the act.
SPLUMA relates to current development in the study area. It specifies the principles that should guide spatial planning, i.e. the principles of spatial justice, spatial sustainability, efficiency, spatial resilience and good administration. It thus obliges municipalities to develop spatial frameworks that identify the designation of areas in which more detailed local plans must be developed. It provides for shortened land use development procedures and the amendment of land use schemes. SPLUMA underlines development principles that are relevant to sustainable development in the national and local spheres and that also apply in the Precinct area.
Tshwane‘s Integrated Development Plan is aligned with the SPLUMA principles. A number of Tshwane spatial planning and land use documents relate to Region 3 in which the Precinct is situated. These include, among others, the City of Tshwane Compaction and Densification Strategy (COT 2005), the Tshwane Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework Region 3 (COT 2013), the Tshwane Vision 2055 (COT) and the Tshwane Rapid Transit: Spatial Development Policy – Densification and Intensification Guidelines (COT 2014). These documents were scrutinised for the purpose of this study to determine how the principles of sustainable development, and especially the need to maintain the sense of place, could be realised in development planning for the study area.
National legislation that relates to heritage
According to the National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA) (Act 25 of 1999) heritage resources include places or objects of cultural significance. They are controlled in the national sphere by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). The Gauteng Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (PHRAG) is responsible for the management of heritage resources that are of provincial significance (grade II) as stipulated in Section 8(1) of the NHRA. In accordance with Section 34 of the Act, no person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years without a permit from PHRAG.
The NHRA provides legislation to promote good management of the national estate (i.e. all the declared heritage resources in the country), and to enable and encourage communities to nurture and conserve their legacy so that it may be bequeathed to future generations. It stresses that our heritage is unique and precious and it cannot be renewed. It helps us to define our cultural identity and therefore lies at the heart of our spiritual well-being. It has the power to build our nation and has the potential to affirm our diverse cultures. Heritage conservation can be achieved through the compilation of Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) for cultural heritage (RSA 1999: 72, 74), which is supported by the Site Management Plans and Guidelines provided by SAHRA.
The NHRA describes heritage resources as valuable, finite, non-renewable, irreplaceable, unique, having an intrinsic value worth preserving, having the capacity to promote reconciliation, understanding and respect, and contribute to the development of a unifying South African identity. In terms of the NHRA, Sections 13(2)(c) and (d), the SAHRA has the overall responsibility for the systematic identification and recording in data bases of the national estate, i.e. all heritage resources specified in the Act (RSA, 1999a: 28).
In terms of South African legislation there is a legal obligation, applicable to the state and private individuals, to protect and conserve heritage. NEMA, NHRA, the World Heritage Convention Act (WHCA), Act 49 of 1999 and the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (NEMPAA), Act 57 of 2003, constitute the most important legislation introduced in post-1994 South Africa for the protection and conservation of heritage. Jointly they have created a management system for the protection and conservation of all types of heritage throughout the country on state-owned and privately-state-owned land. There are several bodies that are responsible for aspects of heritage management in South Africa, performing their heritage management duties by means of different types of management plans.
Section 31 of the NHRA describes particular actions that must be implemented with respect to heritage management by authorities. Sub-section 5 has relevance to the study area and states:
―A local authority may, by notice in the Provincial Gazette, designate any area or land to be a heritage area on the grounds of its environmental or cultural interest or the presence of heritage resources, provided that prior to such designation it shall consult—
(a) the provincial heritage resources authority; and
(b) owners of property in the area and any affected community, regarding inter alia the provisions
to be established under subsection (7) for the protection of the area‖.
In addition sub-section 7 states:
―A local authority must provide for the protection of a heritage area through the provisions of its planning scheme or by-laws under this Act, provided that any such protective provisions shall be jointly approved by the provincial heritage resources authority, the provincial planning authority and the local authority, and provided further that—
(a) the special consent of the local authority shall be required for any alteration or development
(b) in assessing an application under paragraph (a) the local authority must consider the
significance of the area and how this could be affected by proposed alteration/ development; and
(c) in the event of any alteration or development being undertaken in a heritage area without the
consent of the local authority, it shall have the power to require the owner to stop such work instantly and restore the site to its previous condition within a specified period. If the owner fails to comply with the requirements of the local authority, the local authority shall have the right to carry out such restoration work itself and recover the cost thereof from the owner‖.
The Gauteng Heritage Resources Authority (PHRAG) is responsible for the management of Grade II heritage resources, i.e. heritage resources that are of provincial significance/as stipulated in Section 8(1) of the NHRA. In accordance with Section 34 of the Act, no person may alter or demolish any structure or part of a structure which is older than 60 years and without a permit from PHRAG. This legislation is therefore of particular significance in the case study area.
Legislation and non-binding agreement documents that relates to the local municipal level
In terms of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000 (MSA) a municipal council is required to adopt an Integrated Development Plan (IDP) which is a strategic planning instrument guiding and informing planning and development. The IDP is a tool used by local government to address transformation and to fulfill its developmental role (Sowman and Brown 2006:696). The IDP is intended to be the principal strategic planning instrument which guides planning and development and informs budgeting and management decisions in local authorities over a five-year period. An IDP must include a spatial development framework (SDF) which provides guidelines for land-use management within in the municipality. Section 25 requires that an lDP be compatible with national and provincial development plans and planning requirements that bind the municipality (RSA 2000).
Spatial Development Frameworks as well as a Land Use Management Schemes are tools used by municipalities to guide and manage development according to the vision, strategies and policies of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and in the interests of the general public to promote sustainable development and quality of life. The general purpose of a Land Use Management Scheme is to create coordinated, harmonious and sustainable development of a municipal area in such a way that it efficiently promotes health, safety, order, amenity, convenience and general welfare, as well as efficiency and economy in the process of development. Related documents are therefore of particular significance to development in the case study area (RSA 2002).
Land use schemes that relate to the case study area include, among others, Tshwane Vision 2055 (COT 2002), City of Tshwane Compaction and Densification Strategy (COT 2005), Tshwane Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework Region 3 (COT 2013), Tshwane Rapid Transit: Spatial Development Policy – Densification and Intensification Guidelines (COT 2014), Tshwane Town Planning Scheme (2008) that was revised in 2014 and is again up for revision. Apart from these the following documents that relate to the Precinct will also have to be consulted when development is being considered in the Precinct area:
Hatfield Spatial Development Framework of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality City Planning Department (2012).
Tshwane Regional Spatial Development Framework (2014).
Tshwane (Draft) Regional Spatial Development Framework 2017-21 currently in the public participation phase.
Combined Precinct Plans for participating residents‘ associations (Loots 2017).
Region 3: Regional Integrated Development Plan – City of Tshwane (www.Tshwane.gov.za>sites>council).
When the stipulations contained in the two main development frameworks that relate to the Precinct area, i.e. the Hatfield Spatial Development Framework (COT 2012) and the Spatial Development Framework for Arcadia Street (COT 2002) are compared to guidance contained in the more over-arching documents mentioned above, certain discrepancies are identified. While the Hatfield Spatial Development Framework encourages densification around rail and bus stations, the Arcadia Street Framework proposes that the street should be developed as a heritage street, thus inhibiting development along the entire street. Yet, within the context of the entire Gautrain rapid rail line, from the terminus in the centre of Johannesburg (Park Station) to the Pretoria terminus in Hatfield, the Hatfield station surrounds, including Arcadia Street is the only area suited for densification of settlement. It is a challenge to reconcile these seemingly conflicting objectives for development in the Precinct, namely the expansion of the transport hub as opposed to heritage conservation. This is the most basic conflict of interest applicable to the study namely how to reconcile heritage conservation with urban development.
The map of the street view survey undertaken by the author of this study was included in the Hatfield Development Framework as ―Arcadia Street Map‖ in COT 2012:37). The survey provides information on the character and quality of the street and street-front of houses as well as on the diverse uses of the buildings, and it is thus directly significant in terms of sense of place as well as the development potential of the case study area.
The Spatial Development Framework for Arcadia Street (COT 2002) is now outdated by more than a decade and the survey that it bases its information on is even older (Le Roux 1993), yet it is still used as benchmark in the evaluation of applications for development (personal communication
with Tshwane Planning Department 2014). Although the heritage quality of the street is protected by the NHRA, and the national assets are protected, the outdated framework still plays a decisive role in the municipal decision-making process. This stresses the importance of the integration of the planning processes, especially in the local sphere. The study indicates that the need exists for networking among authorities and the community as well as for a more flexible approach from the municipal planning department.
1.6 Literature review
1.6.1 Purpose of the literature review
The first main component of the research method applied for the Arcadia Precinct study is the literature review. A literature review was undertaken of relevant local and international sources as well as development frameworks that relate to the study area.
A literature review includes the current knowledge available about a particular topic, including substantive findings, theoretical and methodological contributions to the topic. In the case of an academic dissertation it serves to situate the current study within the body of the relevant literature. According to Fink (2014) a literature review surveys the published works (including books, scholarly articles, and any other relevant sources) dealing with a particular topic in order to provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources and to demonstrate to readers how the research fits within the larger field of study.
In the social sciences and also in this study, the literature review has a purposeful organisational pattern. It combines both a summary and synthesis of the literature within identified conceptual categories. The purpose of the literature review is, amongst others, to identify areas of prior scholarship, to interpret the published literature, to trace the intellectual progression of the field, to evaluate sources and advise the reader on the most relevant research, to place important works in the context of their contribution to understanding the research problem, to describe the relationship between works, and to locate this study within the context of existing literature (Fink 2005; Hart 1998; Jesson 2011; Ridley 2012).
For the current study sources were used to gain better understanding of the field of study and research methods. Such sources enabled better understanding of the various approaches, core concepts and methods employed by disciplines related to the study and also provided valuable background and perspective in developing the socio-spatial research approach while it also
provided background information on the geographical, historical and socio-political context of the study.
Different types of secondary sources were used for the study, including books, articles in academic journals, academic dissertations and documents published by departments of the public sector in the national, provincial and local spheres. See the list of references at the end for full details.
Databases To search for and identify relevant material for this study the following databases were
used namely NEXUS, SAePublications, Science Direct and JSTOR.
1.6.2 Sources - international
The work of Norberg-Schulz serves as theoretical point of departure of this study. In Genius Loci:
Towards a Phenomenology of Architecture Norberg-Schulz describes genius loci as the sense
people have of a place that reflects the sum of all physical and symbolic values they attach to nature and the human environment (Norberg-Schulz 1976:422). He considers people‘s life world as a basis for orientation and identity. Identification is in his opinion the basis for humankind‘s sense of belonging. True freedom, he states, presupposes belonging, and ‗dwelling‘ means belonging to a concrete place [home] (Norberg-Schulz 1976:425). Place is a ―discrete, temporally and perceptually bounded unit of psychological meaningful material space‖, which finds its highest expression in the concept of home (Norberg-Schulz 1976:419). He recognizes that a person‘s experiences of place and of self-identity develop from childhood and remain as a formative influence throughout life. Place identity relates to personal and cultural identity and the way we experience sense of place and sense of belonging (Norberg-Schulz 2003:125).
Norberg-Schulz thus considers the concepts of sense of place and sense of belonging as being the essence of identity. Pertinent to the current study is Norberg-Schulz‘s definition of sense of place as related to ―sense of belonging‖ and ‖dwelling in a livable environment‖ where quality of life can be retained (Norberg-Schulz 1976. See also Giddens 1984; Tuan 1977; Jacobs 1961). Following this approach the focus of this study is on spirit of place, sense of belonging, livability (‗dwelling‘ in a livable environment) and the sustainability of a place (Norberg-Schulz 1976:417).
Sources that were of particular value to the research included among othes the work of human Geographers Tuan, Relph and Cresswell provided valuable insight on place, sense of place and livability (Relph 1976; Cresswell 2004). Scholars generally agree that place is location-orientated and instrumental in fostering a sense of security (Tuan 2007:6; Leach 2002:129). Tuan states that ‖an undifferentiated space only becomes a place when we endow it with value‖ (Tuan 1977:6). Relph in Place and Placelessness considers how ideas of place are formed and communicated. He states that ‖place‖ means ‖those fragments of human environments where meanings, activities
